GARDENIA
Iggy Pop Lyrics

Gardenia
Iggy Pop addresses the woman referred to as Gardenia, asking her where she is.

Where are you?
Iggy Pop repeats his question, wanting to know where Gardenia is.

Black goddess in a shabby raincoat
Iggy Pop describes Gardenia as a black goddess wearing a worn-out raincoat.

Where are you tonight?
He once again expresses his desire to know Gardenia's whereabouts.

Cheap purple baby-doll dress
Iggy Pop describes Gardenia's outfit as being a low-cost purple baby-doll dress.

A gardenia in your hair
There is a reference to a gardenia flower that Gardenia is wearing in her hair.

Much taller and stronger than me
Iggy Pop admits that Gardenia is much taller and stronger than he is.

A forbidden dream, a dream, a dream
He describes his attraction to Gardenia as a forbidden dream that he cannot turn away from.

All I wanna do is tell Gardenia What to do tonight
Iggy Pop expresses his desire to control Gardenia and tell her what to do for the night.

The streets were your home
Iggy Pop refers to Gardenia's past as a homeless person, roaming the streets.

Now where do you roam?
He wonders where she goes now.

Your hourglass ass
Iggy Pop references Gardenia's curvy figure, especially her shapely backside.

And your powerful back
He also notes that her back is strong and defined.

Your slant devil eyes
The reference to Gardenia's eyes as 'slant' and 'devil' highlights her seductive and dangerous qualities.

And the ditch on your spine
Iggy Pop describes another aspect of Gardenia's body, the indent on her spine, adding to the image of her as an alluring and mysterious figure.

Deep ass, deep ass
This repetition emphasizes the sexualized objectification of Gardenia's body.

We lay in the darkness Then she turned the lights on
Iggy Pop reflects on a previous sexual encounter with Gardenia during which they were in the dark until she turned on the lights.

I saw a dangerous habit When she turned the lights on
With the lights on, Iggy Pop saw something dangerous in Gardenia, possibly a drug habit or something else that made her more than just the sexy, alluring figure she portrayed.

There's always a catch In the darkness when you When you turn the lights on There's always a catch Oh well, oh well, oh well, oh well
Iggy Pop reflects on how things are not always as they seem, and reveals there is often a catch when people's true selves are exposed.

Alone in the cheapo motel By the highway to hell
Iggy Pop describes the location where he and Gardenia might have stayed, a cheap motel next to a highway.

America's greatest living poet Was ogling you all night
This line refers to some unnamed famous poet who was watching Gardenia all night, possibly also desiring her.

You should be wearing the finest gown But here you are now Gas, food, lodging, poverty, misery And gardenia
Iggy Pop remarks on how Gardenia deserves better than what she has, living a life of poverty and misery instead of getting dressed up and going to fancy events. The use of 'gas, food, lodging' seems to reference a book of the same name, which also reflects an exploration of human experience and depth in working-class people.

You could be burned at the stake For all your mistakes, mistakes, mistakes
Iggy Pop reflects on how Gardenia's hardships are not necessarily deserved and that she could be seen as a victim of a society that does not value people like her; the repetition of 'mistakes' emphasizes how society might unfairly blame people for things that are beyond their control.